Chapter 147 - I Am Only Just A Boy From Humble Backgrounds

As Gray got back to his seat, Sato gave him a meaningful smile and a word of congratulations. He was extremely proud of Gray. Living with him, Sato knew how much sleep Gray has given up for the results he had attained today. The number of meetings he had to attend both in-person and online was countless. And yet, even after all those, he managed to spend time with Sato.

"I'm really proud of you." Sato spoke soft enough that only Gray could hear his words.

"Shouldn't you present me with a gift if you are proud of me?" Gray teased the young man. Obviously, Sato knew what the devilish man wanted.

"W..Would you like me to kiss y..you right now?" Sato blushed immediately when he heard what Gray had said. He stuttered uncontrollably.

"Let's wait till we are home," Gray paused for a short moment before continuing his sentence in a more flirtatious tone, "In bed…"

"…" Sato face was now as red as a tomato. The bystanders obviously knew nothing about it. And even if they had a slight inkling of what was going on, no one asked and that thought dispersed away quickly.

"Now, let us proceed with the last award for tonight." The emcee's tone lowered right after that. There was a sense of foreboding in the city hall. "The Medal Of Honour is given to the top soldier in the army that had served and fought valiantly for a rightful cause. The Medal Of Honour is the highest and most prestigious military decoration that is handed out to few candidates over the years. Today, there is one soldier that had met the criteria. Unfortunately, on his last overseas mission, he died fighting against terrorists in Country N. To save fifty men under him, he acted as a decoy against the oncoming attack. The soldier's honourable name was Brigadier General Ming Jiang Fei. After 20 successful covert ops missions, with zero casualty rates over the years, he had to leave this world before everyone else."

As everyone in the hall heard the fallen soldier's name, many of the officers could be seen with red eyes. Many had tears falling down their faces. It was evident that many of the personnel present today were close confidantes with Brigadier General Ming Jiang Fei. To hear about his death, even for people that didn't really know him, no one was happy.

Sato heard the story. He reached out to hold onto Gray's hand. He couldn't help but think that the person that the emcee had just spoke about could've been Gray too. After all, war and conflicts were uncertain for the most part. One day Gray could be fine and dandy, but within the next second, he could be lying on the ground dead from an assassination attempt. That fear and panic struck Sato like lightning. Gray knew what the boy was thinking. He c.a.r.e.s.sed Sato's hand with his thumb, trying to tell him that everything was okay.

"Now, could the son of fallen soldier Brigadier General Ming come on stage to accept the Medal Of Honour in replacement of him." The emcee looked towards the table located at the front. There, sat the Sato and Gray group and a boy in his hoodie. The soldiers all followed the emcee's gaze to realised who the son was. It turned out to be the young man that was poorly dressed for the occasion.

The boy in the black hoodie did not show any emotion on his face. Rather, he remained quiet and still throughout the entire presentation on the General. The son of Brigadier General Ming Jiang Fei was the twenty-three year old Ming Yue Guang. Only on the day he received a phone call from his mother saying to come home immediately, did he come to know of the truth. The truth about his father and his occupation.

Yue Guang got back home to two military personnels dressed in their formal uniform. They were his father's subordinates. Their faces were solemn and as they repeated the exact event that had killed his father, Yue Guang entered a state of denial. The father whom he got to know over the years, did he even truly know him?

Suddenly, everything became clear in an instant. Yue Guang connected the dots in his head. The letters, the messages, the lengths of overseas work, it all made sense. His father had been working as a top-secret military agent. He obviously could not leak anything to his son. Even to his wife, all he could tell her was that he was a military official.

That night, on the day of mourning and realisation, Melisa went to her son's bedroom and came clean about her side of the story. Both her and Jiang Fei decided that it was best if they raised their child under the pretence that their family had a normal background. They did not want their son to be spoilt over social statuses and just wanted him to have a warm and happy childhood. Their original plan was to reveal Jiang Fei's job when Yue Guang turned twenty-one and Jiang Fei could retire from the military that year.

Brigadier General Ming Jiang Fei may have had the status and wealth in the country. However, neither did he abuse his power, nor did he allow his son to be consumed over the social hierarchy. Ming Yue Guang took three days off school to process the information. In the end, he knew what his parents wanted from him. He was the culmination of his parent's two decades of hard work and would never blame his parents for letting him have a peaceful childhood.

'After all, I am only just a boy from humble backgrounds.'